1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to the field of tools for metal forming and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the field of die assemblies adapted for use in crimping or otherwise deforming metallic terminals for joining or splicing articles to one another, two principle modes of operation are generally utilized. The more conventional devices generally comprise a pair of mating die members movable towards one another along a common axis to provide a given compressive force to a deformable terminal or like element seated therebetween. Proliferous examples of such die assemblies may be found in the prior art and are sufficiently well known to those skilled in the art. The other mode of operation utilizes longitudinal displacement of the connector through a restrictive orifice to extrudably deform the terminal or connector about one or more contained wires or conductors. An example of such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,470 issued June 19, 1973 to applicant and assigned to the assignee of the instant invention. In the latter method, the terminal must be fabricated from special material which must be extrudably deformable without fracture or damage occurring thereto in order to preserve the integrity of the connection. Furthermore, by virtue of the extrusion process, both the terminal and enclosed wires are elongated and reduced in cross-section to a significant degree upon completion of the operation, a condition which may be undesirable in many applications where the cross-sectional area of the completed joint or connection is of principle importance. The former conventional method of direct crimping, although used quite successfully in many applications, has the distinct drawback of requiring relatively high crimping forces when employed with the larger size conductors and associated terminals, thereby requiring the use of relatively bulky and expensive drive sources for use therewith. In many cases where such connections must be made in remote locations removed from a worksite, convenience of portability may become a major factor in the use thereof, whereby the weight and size of such prior art devices may seriously limit their applicability under such conditions.